Joe Kinnear is lining up his first signing as the new Director of Football at Newcastle United and he is going for a deal that will not please many fans of the club – as he chases the signature of released midfielder Phil Bardsley from arch rivals Sunderland.
According to reports from the camp of the former Manchester United youth team player, the Magpies have already made tentative enquiries into the availability of the player who has been released by the Black Cats manager Paolo di Canio as he continues his stunning summer clear out at the Stadium of Light.
Moreover, Kinnear is also not being out off by the bad boy image that the player has, after being picture lying down on a casino floor with a pile of £ 50 notes. But if Kinnear does decide to go for the 30 year old right back, after having not signed a single player in the close season, he will face stiff competition for the Sunderland player from fellow Premier League rivals Fulham as well as Championship club Blackburn Rovers.
Kinnear, who has already been a very controversial appointment at the club by owner Mike Ashley has seen himself involved in a lot of controversies and with the former manager going for a player released from their fierce rivals, it will definitely not sit well with a club that has deep rooted hatred for the Wearside club.
However, Kinnear is refusing to be deterred in his pursuit of the player he has apparently admired since his days at Manchester United and tried to sign when he was released from Old Trafford. It just needs to be seen whether manager Alan Pardew gives the go ahead to bring the Sunderland wing back to the club following the departure of Danny Simpson to QPR.